About Endowments

ENDOWMENTS held by the 229 organizations in The Chronicle's annual survey lost a combined $29.1-billion in 2008, and alternative investments proved only a modest buffer against the decline.

CASH AND BONDS are suddenly looking good to endowment managers, many of whom disparaged the low-yielding investments before the recession hit and the stock market went into free fall.

About Giving

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY has received a pledge of $100-million from the chairman of its board, one of the largest gifts ever to a social-service organization.

AFTER CYCLONE NARGIS devastated a large swath of Myanmar, humanitarian aid poured in, but a year later assistance has failed to reach needy people elsewhere in the country.

THE CHIEF PHILANTHROPIST in the household is more and more likely to be the woman, findings from a survey by the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund suggest.

EVEN WITH ALL THEIR MONEY, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and their billionaire-philanthropist friends could not keep a private dinner private, and speculation about their table talk was rampant (Dispatches).

TAKING PART IN A GIVING CIRCLE prompts donors to give more money to charity, and to give it more strategically, according to the results of a new survey.

THE FACE OF PHILANTHROPY: The Boston Schoolyard Initiative transforms playgrounds in blighted neighborhoods to become outdoor classrooms and attractive spaces for local residents.

EMERGENCY GRANTS made by foundations: a sampling.

About Fund Raising

A CULTURE OF PHILANTHROPY taking root internationally has created a market for North American fund raisers abroad, but cultural differences can be a problem.

SOLICITING DONATIONS OVERSEAS is a far different enterprise than fund raising at home: seven lessons from a development officer who has done both (First Person).

UPDATE ON CAMPAIGNS for endowments, capital improvements, and other needs.

INTEREST RATES for planned gifts, issued by the Internal Revenue Service.

About Managing

SUMMER INTERNS can be a godsend, especially in these belt-tightening times, but it takes some planning to make the best use of their energy and enthusiasm: advice for nonprofit managers.

SEVERAL GRANT MAKERS provide support for hiring high-school or college students for the summer, helping charities with labor costs and occasionally steering interns into nonprofit careers.

A NEW BOOK by a former board member of the American Civil Liberties Union, Wendy Kaminer, shines a harsh light on the organization's internal squabbles.

THE NEW WHITE HOUSE OFFICE charged with promoting "social innovation" is beginning to come into its own: The Chronicle talks with two of the people in charge of it.

THE PRESIDENT'S CHOICE to head the Corporation for National and Community Service, Maria Eitel, has withdrawn her name from consideration for health reasons.

A WHITE HOUSE ECONOMIST, in remarks to the District of Columbia Bar, encouraged nonprofit groups to keep an open mind about President Obama's proposal to limit tax breaks for charitable donations (Tax Watch).

THE TOP LAWMAKERS on the Senate Finance Committee have put forward a proposal that would place stricter requirements on hospitals that want to qualify for tax-exempt status (Tax Watch).

WRITE-OFFS: The Internal Revenue Service revoked charity status from six charities that engaged in partisan politics during the 2004 election cycle; the tax agency explains what charities should do when they shut down (Tax Watch).

NEW BOOKS: How fund raisers can write appeals that persuade donors to make big gifts and an insider's account of the boardroom struggles at the American Civil Liberties Union, plus summaries of other publications on dealing with transitions at a nonprofit group and advice for grant makers on how to be a smart donor in these tough economic times.

About Technology

CENTRALIZING ONLINE ACTIVITIES and assigning employees responsible for them to a single department may be one factor in a charity's success, a new study suggests.

PUBLIC RADIO may be winning new audiences with a tool that allows people to listen to live or on-demand programs on their iPhones or iPod Touch players.

TEXT MESSAGES HAVE proved to be a useful tool to raise money for efforts by USA for UNHCR to help displaced people in the Swat Valley of Pakistan.

About Philanthropy Careers

THE NEW CHAIRMAN of the Aspen Institute's Board of Trustees, Robert K. Steel, brings experience in the worlds of finance, banking, and government to his leadership post (New on the Job).

LAYOFFS AND CUTS at nonprofit organizations; a sampling

PEOPLE: Appointments and promotions in the nonprofit world.

AWARDS: Honors for people and organizations in philanthropy.

LEGACIES: Rodger McFarlane, a gay-rights leader and AIDS activist.

Opinion

JOANNA L. KROTZ has a request for the mysterious donor who has been sending $100-million checks to universities.

PABLO EISENBERG questions why foundation leaders don't think charities should be urging lawmakers to change the rules for how grant makers operate.

AARON HURST says business, government, colleges, and other organizations need to mobilize a major effort to match skilled volunteers with nonprofit organizations that need professional services.